Sparks Brain Preservation
A Non-profit Organization
Rapid Response is our multilayered approach to ensuring that preservation procedures can be started as quickly as possible after legal death.
We will soon have 8 staffed locations throughout the United States that can reach 84% of the population within 6 hours. This will be the critical first layer of our service. It will allow us to quickly deploy at a lower threshold than other companies. It will also allows rotation of staff throughout a deployment.
Many states now support Medical Aid In Dying (MAID). This would be possible in our five locations in Oregon, California, Chicago, and New York. It would not be possible in our three locations in Dallas, Atlanta, or Miami. MAID allows the best possible preservation.
Each location will have an ambulance to allow us to perform certain procedures in the field. This will prevent extensive delays that are associated with transportation by air to a single facility in another state.
Timing is always very tricky. We like to get at least one team member on site early in the process. They can act as an advocate and also allow us to get high quality information about the status of the patient. We then ramp up or down with additional team members.
Some of our cases are post mortem cases where the next of kin calls us. Rapid Response is also important in these cases, so we treat them as urgent by sending team members out immediately. Even if a patient is already deceased, the quality of preservation can be improved significantly with Rapid Response.
Rapid Response is included in our standard fee for preservation Service because nearly all cases depend on Rapid Response. Our extra locations, equipment, and staff all cost money. Nearly the entire service fee goes toward Rapid Response rather than the long term storage which costs nearly nothing. Some cases are underfunded. We provide Financial Aid in those situations and we also tend to respond first without worrying too much about later payment.
Many people are already familiar with Alcor's standby services, and we need to point out that our Rapid Response is different from an Alcor standby in a number of ways. Our protocol prioritizes immediate preservation quality rather than the misguided goal of cellular viability, so there are no medications, no ice bath, no chest compressions, no expensive contracted medical personnel, etc. Because deployment is simpler and intenitionally designed to have a lower cost, we are eager to deploy rather than hesitant.
Early planning helps ensure the best outcome. Please contact us early, ensure that your paperwork is completed, inform your care team of your preservation wishes, and designate a contact person to communicate with us if you cannot.
How much advance notice do you need?
We are prepared to send someone with virtually no notice. The more notice we have, the better we can prepare and ensure team availability.
What if the timeline is uncertain?
Medical timelines are rarely exact. We understand that a deployment might last days or even more than a week. Ultimately, the decision of when to deploy and for how long is going to be made by us.
Can a deployment be cancelled?
Yes, if your condition improves or plans change, we frequently cancel deployments.
Where does the preservation procedure take place?
This depends on your location and circumstances. In cases near to one of our facilities, we can bring an ambulance. In more distant locations, we would typically partner with a local funeral home to use their facility.
What if legal death occurs before the team arrives?
This is unfortunately common. We still deploy as quickly as possible. In most cases, the staff from a local funeral home can perform some initial steps, like transport and cooling.